


Over Time

by AkaUsa



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Bargaining, Captivity, F/F, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 07:37:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16739809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaUsa/pseuds/AkaUsa
Summary: Maka visits Medusa in prison, searching for answers.





	Over Time

The first time Maka comes to interrogate her, Medusa doesn't answer any of her question, barely listens to them in fact.

The third time, Maka takes one long suspicious look at all the scientific material that has been moved to the cell before asking her questions. Medusa smiles, shrugs and ignores her once again. What did she expect? The witches may be on Shibusen's side now but that doesn't mean they can't have their own agenda to keep track off. Considering they're the ones holding Medusa prisoner, it would be a shame to let all that knowledge and power go to waste. The Elder Witch's priority is to protect and let her little witchlings thrive after all. Medusa's currently playing along since she hasn't yet decided what she would like to do after the recent completion of her life project. There's so many choices and opportunities, a cell isn't the worst place she could be in to consider each and every one of them.

"Oh come on", Medusa says with a sigh as Maka starts blabbering the same old rote for the tenth time, "are you attempting to kill me with boredom by repeating all those dreary questions in the same tone again and again? At least change it up a bit, threaten me, broke me a bone or two, just to keep it entertaining."

"I'm not going to... to torture you, Maka scowls with disgust, I'm not like you."

"Don't be stupid. Torture as a mean of interrogation isn't actually something that works, so I wouldn't even bother with it. Now, of course, if we're talking about emotional and physical torture for the sole purpose of creating a Demon God, I proved that theory with great efficiency, we'll both agree."

Maka's glare almost makes her believe she'll bite but, with apparent great difficulty, she manages to refrain herself from answering and slams the cell door instead. The next time, she's back with a book and Medusa compliments her on her cute bargaining skills before making a face at the title.

"You might want to improve your taste and pick something more likely to interest me though", she barely finishes her sentence before the door slams again.

It might be attempt twenty-five, take or add one or two. This time, Maka only asks her why she's staying there instead of attempting a daring escape to unleash more evil on the world. Obviously, Medusa could escape at any moment if she wished so. When she says that however, Maka doesn't seem to entirely believe it and that leads Medusa to go and prove her wrong. She's been in need of some ingredients the witches aren't willing to let her have, anyway.

It only lasts a few days, the time needed to gather what she wants, before they catch up to her. She lets them bring her back to her cell without fighting, no need to play with death for now. Especially since she's been doing it a bit too much, as of late. Always for very good reasons obviously, but still. The downside is that Maka comes to annoy her almost every day for a while after that, making sure she doesn't attempt anything similar again. On the other hand, a guard is obligated to follow her for security measures and Medusa can harass that one as much as she wants with requests for books, tools and potions.

They're probably over a hundred meetings by now and Medusa's more than a little irritated. Open books are littering her cell, not a single one able to sustain her attention. Papers are stuck on the wall, covered in various scribbles, half of them crossed out. Maka's interruptions does nothing to brighten her mood.

"Oh, Crona this, Crona that. Get over it! Or free my child, for all I care, just do it by yourself instead of coming to whine for my help."

Maka, what a bore, keeps herself under control despite everything. It's not funny anymore to see her boil with rage, if she never snaps in the end. The day after, Medusa makes escape attempt number two, because she really has nothing better to do. It's a one week vacation of sorts. The Elder Witch is naturally furious when she comes in person to catch her, Shibusen is threatening repercussions and Maka keeps whining tirelessly. Medusa's mood is thankfully a lot better for now.

She makes a few more escapes, alway enough months apart that it won't anger her captors too much. She likes to test their defences and Shibusen's patience but she has to limit herself, to be sure the security won't get too tight on the day she'll really have enough of the place and leave it for good. Some of her possessions are taken away in punishment but that can't be helped, she's starting to lack space anyway.

As the variety of visitors she gets is severly limited, her continuous meetings with Maka become all the more annoying, that one could at least send someone else in a while, to repeat her unending list of questions. But if Medusa tried, against all reason, to ask her to do just that, Maka would probably pick the most annoying person imaginable in reaction.

It's a shame she has lost the count of her visits, to fully comprehend the degree of Maka's stubborn obsession. Instead, Medusa starts keeping track of little things like the number of visits since she asked this and that question or how often she can make her say and do something with a well-placed bait or taunt. One thing she's less fond of watching are the changes in her as time goes by. The brat stopped growing long ago and Medusa had to follow with disinterest her various attempts at fashioning and dressing herself as she shaped into adulthood. It did put a bit of color in her cell, that much is certain. Now she can see, under her eyes and around the corner of her mouth, the first lines of what will later become wrinkles.

"How long are you going to keep this up? Are you hoping that through sheer stubborness, you'll make me fall for you by having to see you every damn day and give you all the answers on a plate? Is that your masterstroke?"

Maka doesn't get angry, sigh or even really react at the mockery, her face stays blank for a few minutes. Get the joke already, Medusa groans in her mind, you Shibusen soldiers are all clowns after all.

Then she stops coming. Which is ridiculous, really, of all the things Medusa said to her, that last dig clearly isn't the worst one and there's no reason it would end their encounters. Unless its absurdity finally made her realize how futile her attempts were. Medusa waits to see how long Maka lasts before coming back, begging for answers. After a while, she can't bear the annoyance anymore and escapes again. Cells really aren't good for scientific inspiration in the long run, it turns out.

Her freedom lasts for quite a while, until Maka joins the search and Medusa allows her to catch her up, for curiosity's sake.

"Aw, I thought you didn't want to see me again."

Impassively, Maka asks the usual questions and Medusa answers with the same stories, only this time she puts just a little bit of truth in one of them. It's simply a test, to see if Maka can notice it or not. The next time she gives her a bit more, to keep her going. Maka does get it and so Medusa continues later on, occasionnally, depending on how often she visits. With a single crumb of information, she can make her come back the next day for more and it's her pleasure to play that little game with her nerves.

Eventually, Maka gets all the answers she needs and one day, Medusa senses the shifting power of a Demon God moving freely in the skies. Good for you Crona, she thinks somewhat bitterly. She could have made it last a bit longer maybe but it doesn't matter much. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. All games have an end and it's not such a bad turn of events for Crona to be freed from the moon's sphere either, there is more potential for mayhem like that.

Maka comes to see her again, a lot earlier than she expected but that is nothing compared to the surprise of her hands grabbing her face to pull her into a kiss. It's not a good one in any way, awkward, forceful and rough, with no attempt to please or any feeling behind it. Infuriating in a sense, because Medusa's too shocked to come up with any retort as soon as it's over.

"There, Maka says with a satisfied smile after wiping her mouth, for giving me all the answers on a plate."

"That wasn't..."

Her explanation dies on her lips before she can even start it. The lack of meaning behind her actions, the waiting and boredom, the attempts to make her come back suddendly all sound incredibly silly, impossible to admit. And it's the very first time Maka Albarn is making her feel like this.

 


End file.
